Nook eReader Becomes Gaming Device

Barnes and Noble announced today that the Nook HD and Nook HD+ will now have access to the Google Play app store.

The Google Play service offers over 700,000 Android apps and games. While apps do include some extra ebooks, Google Play has a large focus on video, music, and gaming related android applications. Now, there will be gamers on Nooks.

It’s like watching a movie on a DS. You just don’t do it.

Thank you heading, what a great point! To give you a little perspective: when you see an eReader in public it’s like seeing someone on a DS in public. That person is displaying that they are a gamer and proud. A person with a DS says: “See this? This is a gaming device! I am a gamer! The only reason I have this device is play video games!”

You might see a mobile gamer and be proud that there is someone raising their flag, flying their colors, and publicly pledging allegiance to gaming! 

Now imagine that is a bold faced lie and that person is not a gamer at all! Instead of playing a game, they are are using that DS to watch a movie, or listen to some old Busta Rhymes album. Who even still listens to Busta Rhymes anyways?

It sounds like a good idea, right? Wrong.

Look, don’t get me wrong: I’m a gamer, I love games and gaming and I’m always stoked for gaming to become more accessible to wider audiences. But this is sacrilege.

The thing that is great about the Nook is that it is (was, anyways) a mobile device exclusively devoted to ebooks. This was an eReader, it stood out from the crowd of mobile devices and was proud.

Whenever you see someone on the bus or train or in a coffee shop with an eReader in front of them, you would know they were reading. Sounds trivial, but that is really important. Having an eReader was a symbol: even in this era flooded with ADD-pandering entertainment and social technology, someone would still sit down and read a damn book. 

See? There is an issue here. Everyone raves about this sort of media convergence, but I really dislike it. I guess you could call me a high-tech luddite.

What do you think? Am I overreacting here? I’m genuinely interested about what other people are thinking! This isn’t some blind grab for comments to make me feel good, please let me know what you think in the comment section below.